doddisalegend

You really don't like Austin do you..

Much like the 1st team against Leicester then..

Yes and no. The best six teams in the league are also in general the teams with the highest possession, best passing, most back passes, least number of headed clearances, highest number of goal scoring opportunities, etc stats and oddly enough saints aren't normally far behind them (the difference being in the stats that matter like actually scoring and not conceding we are way behind) . Its not that possession football can't work in the PL it can with the right calibre of player, to turn that possession into something, but that is a calibre of player we can't afford. You are right though I have had a sneaky feeling les and co have been trying to turn us into a top six lite side with the same technical ideas and tactics (lots of possession, lots of passing) but without spending out on the sort of players that could make it work for a while. In the end we've become like a ****e version of a bad Arsenal side. Most of us would probably happily go back to a more robust style of football because in the end I'd rather play route one and win than technically nice football and lose.

It's pretty damning that Austin still has more goals than our other three strikers put together despite being injured for ages.

If they are unfit you have to wonder how much they can improve it in the short space of time we have left. You have to say though it's bloody criminal on the part of the club and the players if they are unfit and a little overweight at this point of the season.

Well he is saying all the right things let's hope it transfers to the players.

Isn't his native tongue Welsh....

In the Premiership era? I assume you mean only games played in the PL other wise Lambert's win percentage must be high.

Yes he had a few good games, when he first arrived, then went of the boil ever since, which isn't thriving in my book. He doesn't have the attributes I want from a lone striker he isn't particularly good in the air, doesn't hold the ball up to bring others into play and can't play with his back to goal. He is a support striker probably best played in the same role Jrod played under Poch. I want a front man to be like Lambert or Pelle Gabbi isn't that sort if player in my book.

As long as Zaha stays fit..

Thrived is pushing it.

Yeah that to. I reckon he cost a few points this season.

Nope I don't want to see Gabbi up front as the lone striker he isn't suited to it. Wouldn't mind seeing him tried playing in behind Guido though or wide as part of a front three.

From a saints point of view you have to wonder where we would be in the table if Austin hadn't been injured (and MoPe had actually started playing him from the first game of the season).

You have to remember Adrian thinks we have a highly talented squad that is the best in the league outside the top six....

Who would you have picked in defence then with VVD sold and Yoshida injured instead of Hoedt and Stephens? Cedric has been poor this season but his only replacement is an even poorer Pied so what's a manager to do?

Will there even be an England team at the world cup in the current climate?

Or a lack of a solid defence that has allowed to many draws that should have been wins our goals would be enough if we could keep clean sheets.

I'm not sure how a goal difference of -15 equates to a solid defence. Good teams are built on a good defence. But yes we are **** at the other end to I saw this morning Shane Long has a 4% shots to goals conversion rate this season ...4% for a striker shocking

Yes it is I just have my doubts he can actually find solutions for our squad weaknesses with so little time. How does he turn Stephens and Hoedt into beasts in the air in 8-10 games when they've been constantly out jumped and out muscled for months for example.

Where have I said that? We should have changed manager months ago and strengthened the squad properly in January we didn't and we have this cluster ****. We shouldn't have ever been in the position were Mark ****ing Hughes was our only option to save our season.

Just like West brom, West ham, Stoke and to extant Palace then? All have changed the manager and it has had little major effect. Swansea and Watford are probably the only teams improved. There are issues with the squad that Hughes is going to have problems sorting out in 8-10 games In defence we have only two fit CBs both of whom are error prone and a bit **** in the air he can't do anything about them other than play someone out of position as an Ersatz CB or go extra defensive in midfield to give them more protection. Up front our only natural goal scorer isn't fit giving us a choice of three goal shy strikers who have 5 goals between them all season again not much he can do about it We lack pace in the side again hard for him to do anything about other than play Shane "4% conversion rate" Long or young untried Josh Sims

Meh it is what it is but it's all a bit underwhelming in a season of underwhelming. I still feel the damage has been done and I'm not convinced Hughes is the man to repair it over 8 games but due to board room level ****ery we were put in a position where we had little choice. Hopefully he can do enough to keep us up.

Maybe not but it was enough to put Silva's nose out of joint.

He has a point though not many of us would have been impressed with Hughes last summer. Now we are so frigging desperate, after MoPe, that Hughes looks like a good option.